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Sunday, April 05, 2009

Former Hawaii Weightlifting Champion Prepares Local Football Players for the NFL Draft

Personal Trainer and NFL Prospects Have Strong Ties to Hawaii

Scottsdale, Arizona (April 3, 2009) –Chad Ikei is a 5-time National Weightlifting Champion, World Record Holder and personal trainer to many NFL Players. But his passion for developing young NFL prospects lies close to his heart as does his island home of Hawaii. On Thursday April 2, four of his athletes participated in the University of Hawaii NFL Proday Workout at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA where they impressed NFL Scouts with their performances.

Former UH Warrior players Josh Leonard, Francis Maka and Jacob Patek along with former Colorado Buffalo and Maui-boy Vaka Manupuna have been training with Ikei for the past 3 months in preparation for the proday. Both Leonard & Manupuna put up record setting marks with 41 repetitions in the 225 lbs bench press test. “It felt real good to put up those numbers,” states Leonard. “Vaka and I have been really pushing each other during every training session, some days he beats me and some days I beat him but the intensity at Ikei’s is exactly what I needed and the results speak for itself.” Leonard’s performance sparked interest from many NFL teams. “Miami called me while I was at the airport on my way home and told me that I had a really good workout and that they liked what they saw.”

Former Kahuku Red Raider Alumnus Al Afalava and Jeremy Perry of Oregon State Beavers also trained out at Ikei. Earlier in March Afalava impressed scouts with his 4.47s forty-yard dash and blazing agility drills. Perry is scheduled for a private workout at Oregon State later this month.

“Hawaii is and always will be my home,” expresses Chad Ikei who owns and operates Ikei Performance, an exclusive sports & fitness training center in Scottsdale, AZ. “The islands have made me who I am today, from the culture to the food but most importantly my Ohana. Sometimes people forget where they come from and what opportunities were provided for them, and for me the islands gave me everything. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my family, friends and the people of Hawaii that helped encourage me to follow my dreams.” Ikei now works with hundreds of athletes from High School to the Pros. Some of the notable athletes he has trained are Larry Fitzgerald, Adrian Wilson, Demeco Ryans and Tommie Harris all who’ve been to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl.

But it’s not these Pro Bowl caliber athletes that inspire Ikei to continue what he does, it’s what the islands has to offer that drives his passion for success. “It’s a great opportunity to be able to work with such great athletes like Fitz, but for me I have a soft spot for raising the level of performance with island athletes. Hawaii has so much potential on the island but sometimes athletes just don’t realize what it takes to get to the top. Now that I’ve been able to work with some of the island’s best, maybe I can inspire more young island athletes to reach beyond the horizon and see what’s on the other side.” Ikei has built a reputation for training players with ties to Hawaii or Polynesia as some notable players include: Aaron Francisco, Reagan Mauia, Deuce Lutui, Naufahu Tahi, Travis Laboy, Tala Esera and Timmy Chang. Some of the islands young college players also spend their summer in Arizona to prepare for their college season. “Some day I’ll move back to Hawaii and open a performance center, but for now I’m just going to have to do what I can from the hot desert and hope that I can make a difference in some of the lives of our young islanders.”

Ikei Performance is an exclusive sports & fitness training center that trains numerous professional, college and high school athletes as well as serious fitness enthusiasts. The private 9,300 square foot facility has an indoor field turf area, outdoor 3-lane 70 yard turf track, strength training area including Olympic lifting platforms and medical offices. Under the direction of 5-time National Weightlifting Champion and World Record Holder, Chad Ikei, the Ikei Performance team has proven time and time again to produce fast and effective results. Personal Training, Sports Performance Programs, Naturopathic Medicine, Chiropractic care, Active Release Technique, massage therapy and the Ikei Performance Nutritional Center are available to interested fitness enthusiasts, junior athletes as well as professional athletes in training. Chad Ikei was born and raised in Hawaii and graduated from Kaiser High School. He has been training numerous Professional and Collegiate Polynesian athletes from Hawaii and across the mainland. Visit Ikei Performance on-line at www.ikeiperformance.com.